


Those Who Fall

by ShadowTrooper1414



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Abuse, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Violence, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Pacific Good Ending, Past Child Abuse, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-marriage, domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-21 22:25:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14924003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowTrooper1414/pseuds/ShadowTrooper1414
Summary: It's been five years since androids became free. Sure, there were still some things to figure out but it's gotten better. Connor and Hank have been married for three years and everything is going well. Or that's what Connor thinks up until a girl with a bad home life and a rough exterior comes into his life. He finds that he'd do a lot of things for this girl. But just how much is he willing to do? Let's find out.





	1. Searching to Find

**Author's Note:**

> So here this is. The obligatory fanfic where Hank and Connor adopt a kid together. Now, I know what you're going to say, "But what about Cole? Hank is still dealing with the emotional withdrawal from his son dying." Yes, I know that. I'm going to be tackling that in the story. If you're wondering why Connor seems a bit more human than in the game, then understand that it's been five years. Connor has had time to learn about and deal with his emotions.
> 
> With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this random thing I decided to write!

Most days, Connor kissed Hank into awakeness. It was a slow process, but one that Connor enjoyed. After Hank finally decided to pull himself from their bed, Connor would go to the kitchen and determine what to make for breakfast. It was only Hank who needed to eat, but Connor liked to do what he could. In the five years since moving in with the old detective, their lives had improved drastically.

Connor ensured that Hank was eating correctly, exercising at least once a week, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule while also keep the house clean and orderly. Hank taught Connor the basics of being human and helped him understand emotions and feelings.

At some point, they became a thing. Two years after that, they got married. They weren't the _first_ human-android marriage, but they were the first ones who were open about it. The first time they came into work, matching silver bands on their left ring fingers, their co-workers gawked at them. Connor answered any questions asked while Hank just avoided it. Gavin was an absolute dick about it, though.

Connor's LED flashed from blue to yellow and back again as he pulled himself from thought. He opened the fridge to find that they were running out of food. No eggs, no milk, no juice - only snack stuff was left. Connor let out a sigh and pushed the fridge door closed. He looked through the cabinets but only succeeded in finding some almost-out-of-date Poptarts. He supposed it would have to do until he was able to buy some groceries. Luckily, it was his day off. His LED circled into yellow as he made himself a short to-do list.

_Buy groceries_

_Tidy up the house - see subset tasks_

_Take care of Sumo - see subset tasks_

_Get dressed_

_Decide on dinner_

Connor let out a slight yelp as arms encircled him. Even after all this time of living together, Hank still managed to scare him.

Hank chuckled tiredly, resting his chin on Connor's shoulder. "Poptarts for breakfast? That's new."

In one motion, Connor grabbed a Poptart, unwrapped it, turned around, and put the Poptart in Hank's mouth. "Unfortunately, it's all we have. I advise you get dressed before leaving for work."

Hank let out a mumble of affirmation, arms still around Connor. He reached up and pulled the Poptart out of his mouth, chewing on whatever he left there. He swallowed before planting a kiss on Connor's forehead.

" _Go_ ," Connor said with a smile, turning Hank around and pushing him towards the living room. "I need to feed Sumo, or at least put food in his bowl."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'," Hank grumbled. He wandered out of the kitchen and down the hall to their bedroom. Connor shook his head fondly before heading over to where Sumo's food was. 

Sumo heard the crinkling of the bag as Connor reached in with the measuring cup they used to get his food and leaped from his resting place on the couch. Connor pulled the measured the proper amount of food before pouring it into the metal bowl as Sumo trotted into the kitchen. He petted the dog before standing and leaving the kitchen.

Connor used his mind palace to take a look around the living room, searching for things that needed to be cleaned up. Since Connor had to be at work so often lately, trash had started to pile up, and the rooms had become less organized. He had a lot of work in store for him.

Connor decided to start with the trash that was littered everywhere. The coffee table was the worst, but there was also some on the floor and in the kitchen. He grabbed the trashcan that sat just outside the kitchen archway and started cleaning up. He picked up the considerably scare beer bottles, the empty Chinese food containers, and any crumpled up wrappers or pieces of papers. He changed out the garbage can, noticing it had gotten full, before putting the full bag next to the door. He'd deal with it later.

Connor organized the movies, the old music records, Hank's magazines, and the sofa cushions and pillows. He realized he needed to make the bed, but he could wait until Hank left for that.

He finished with the living room and kitchen just as Hank exited the bedroom. Connor met him just outside the kitchen.

"It's going to be getting colder later today with a chance of rain," Connor said. "I recommend taking an umbrella just in case."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hank said. Connor knew that was a lie.

"At least wear a coat," Connor said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, _mom_ ," Hank said, voice laced with sarcasm.

"Maybe I _do_ need to act like your maternal figure," Connor said with a playful smirk. Hank leaned in and gave Connor a peck on the lips which Connor returned before the chaste kiss was over.

"Have fun doin' whatever it is you do when I'm not home," Hank said, walking around Connor to shuffle his feet into his shoes. Connor turned to keep Hank within his immediate range of vision.

"Do you know how late you'll stay out?" Connor asked.

"Nope," Hank said. He looked back at Connor, a smile adorning his features. "Love you."

"I love you, too," Connor said, eyes bright as his LED circled into yellow. Hank gave him a slight nod before leaving. Connor reminded him of his keys just as he was about to close the door. That man and his forgetfulness. Must be his old age.

Connor walked into the bedroom as he listened to the car drive away. Looked like he would be walking to the store. That didn't bother him though - he usually needed a bit of fresh air to ventilate his systems.

He gave the room a quick once-over. The room had clothes strewn about, and he needed to make the bed and wash the laundry. On top of all that, he wanted to change into something more socially acceptable to wear outside of the house. 

Collecting the articles of clothing from around the room would be the easiest job, so he did that first. He gathered all of it in his arms before dumping it in the basket next to the closet. He made his way over to the bed and then fixed the sheet. He put the pillows in place before throwing the comforter over the whole thing. He walked back over to the closet.

He grabbed an outfit from the closet and tossed it on the bed before stripping himself of the shorts and t-shirt he had worn to bed. He pulled the pair of jeans on over his boxer-briefs, then threw on a white long sleeve shirt and put a grey short sleeved one over it.

Connor tossed his sleep clothes into the laundry basket before picking it up and heading to the utility room. He set the basket on the shelf above the washing machine. He opened the cleaning device and started to put the clothes in. Hank had told him enough times to not worry about separating the clothes into different categories that Connor had just given in.

Once all the clothing was in the washing machine, he threw a soap pod in and turned it on. Knowing that he would be alerted if something was wrong, he left the room. On his way back to the living room, he examined his to-do list again.

_Buy groceries_

_~~Tidy up the house~~ _

_Take care of Sumo_  
_~~\- Feed~~ _  
_\- Take for a walk _____

_____~~Get dressed~~ _ _ _ _ _

_____Decide on dinner_ _ _ _ _

____Connor knew it would be easier to take Sumo for a walk while also buying the groceries. He walked over to the door to grab his shoes, coat, and Sumo's leash. He put his footwear and jacket on before tapping the side of his leg._ _ _ _

____"Come here, Sumo!" Connor called. Sumo trotted out of the bedroom and up to Connor._ _ _ _

____Connor crouched and hooked the leash to Sumo's collar, holding onto the end. He grabbed his keys and phone from the cabinet before exiting the house. He went outside before turning around and locking the door. Barely a second passed before Sumo started walking away from the residence, dragging Connor along. The android chuckled lightly and allowed the dog to lead him._ _ _ _

____Soon, Connor and Sumo reached the nearby general store run by another human-android couple. The two were kind and ended up helping Connor and Hank through the beginning of their relationship._ _ _ _

____Connor went inside, keeping Sumo close to him. He got the things he needed before making his way to the front of the store. He lifted the items from the cart and put them on the counter._ _ _ _

____"Connor, it's good to see you again!" Maximus, the android of the two owners, greeted with a smile._ _ _ _

____"It's good to see you as well, Max," Connor said, returning the smile. "How is Petunia doing?"_ _ _ _

____"She's doing much better," Max said, counting up the price of Connor's purchase. "The doctor says she'll make a full recovery. How did you know about that treatment?"_ _ _ _

____"Hank doesn't take proper care of himself - or at least he _didn't_ \- so he got sick more often than not," Connor sighed._ _ _ _

____Maximus laughed. "That man worries me sometimes. I wonder how he did it before you."_ _ _ _

____"I do, too," Connor said, even though he _did_ know. Getting drunk, playing Russian roulette, hating his life and job - just being an overall mess. Then Connor happened._ _ _ _

____"That'll be $87.65," Max said. Connor nodded, then made the transaction. Both androids' LEDs flashed yellow, then circled a couple of times before going back to blue. Max smiled. "Transaction complete."_ _ _ _

____Connor watched as Max put all of the groceries into two paper bags. He took them when Max offered._ _ _ _

____"You realize you can just order it from home, right?" Maximus asked._ _ _ _

____"Yes, but then I wouldn't get to talk to you," Connor said. "Besides, it does some good to air everything out. Not to mention I have to walk Sumo."_ _ _ _

____"True," Max said. "Well, it was nice to see you, Connor. I hope we run into each other again soon."_ _ _ _

____Connor nodded with a smile. He adjusted the bags and resecured Sumo's leash in his hand. "I'll be going then."_ _ _ _

____"Right," Max said._ _ _ _

____With that, Connor left the store and started towards home. About halfway there, a small force unexpectedly collided with him from behind. He stumbled forward slightly but turned around when he heard a groan. His LED flashed red before going back to its neutral blue._ _ _ _

____Sitting on the ground was a young Asian looking girl with dark hair and gray-brown eyes. Upon a quick analyzation, Connor found that her name was Hei-Ran Petrov and she was half-Korean, half-Russian. She had fear in her expression as she looked up at Connor. Someone called out her name, followed by a short phrase in Russian. She glanced over her shoulder before shooting herself at Connor. She ducked behind him, holding onto his pant leg._ _ _ _

____"Down, Sumo," Connor said gently as the dog sniffed at Hei-Ran. The dog whined before going over to lick at a puddle._ _ _ _

____Connor directed his gaze towards the two people quickly walking in his direction. He had a feeling they were the girl's parents. He also had a hunch that she didn't want to go with them._ _ _ _

____"Hei-Ran, we've been looking everywhere for you!" The man was speaking in Russian._ _ _ _

____"You worried us sick," the woman said, also speaking in Russian despite looking Korean._ _ _ _

____Connor felt Hei-Ran shake her head. She spoke in English with a quiet voice. "I don't want to."_ _ _ _

____Her mother frowned. "I'm sorry Hei-Ran, but you have to. We are your parents." She looked up at Connor, eyes flickering to his LED. She continued in Russian. "I apologize for the behavior of our daughter. She can be a bit hard to handle at times."_ _ _ _

____Connor's LED circled into yellow, then into white as he analyzed the situation. Stating the obvious of Hei-Ran's behavior wouldn't go over very well. Neither would any random accusations, despite how Hei-Ran's attitude towards her parents led to many negative conclusions. Connor decided to go with a standard polite response._ _ _ _

____"It's no problem," he said in Russian. "She seems like a nice kid."_ _ _ _

____"If only," her father rolled his eyes. "She gets into all sorts of trouble at home and school."_ _ _ _

____Connor narrowed his eyes, LED still flickering from yellow to blue, before looking down at Hei-Ran. He spoke softly but in English. "I think you should go with them. I don't want you to get in any more trouble than you have to."_ _ _ _

____She bit her lip, hands tightening in the pant legs of his jeans. He could barely hear her when she talked. "But they hurt me. I don't want to. Please don't make me."_ _ _ _

____Connor's LED turned red as he processed what that could mean. He gave her a reassuring smile and also spoke in a whisper. "I'll do what I can, but for now I need you to go with them."_ _ _ _

____Hei-Ran was hesitant but nodded and let go of him. She walked over to her parents, eyes downcast. As she was walking away, Connor caught a bruise on her back peeking out from her shirt collar. He inhaled sharply, then watched her mom take hold of her hand and roughly pulled her away._ _ _ _

____"Come along, Sumo," Connor said, gently herding Sumo into walking. "We have to go home now."_ _ _ _

____Once he was able to get Sumo situated at home and all the groceries put away, he had to stop by the office. He needed a search warrant._ _ _ _


	2. Finding What's Needed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record, I have no idea how any of this actually works, but let's just put it under the excuse of, "it's 25 years in the future and things have changed."
> 
>  **Chapter warnings** \- Hints at child abuse, mentions of cancer, mentions of suicide.

"No? What do you mean no?!"

"I mean what I said." Fowler looked up at Connor. "Until you have physical evidence that proves your claims, I can't permit a judge to see you."

"And why not?!" Connor exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the desk. "Need I remind you that I record everything I see without error?"

"It's possible that the footage gets corrupted," Fowler said. His tone was somber though. "I'm sorry, Connor. I wish I could do something, but I'm just following protocol. However, if you can bring in physical evidence, then I'll see about getting a judge to see your case."

Connor clenched his fists but pulled away. "Yes, sir."

"Bring Hank with you, being partners and all," Fowler said. Connor nodded. "If that's everything, then you're dismissed."

Connor tensely left the office. He walked over to his desk and sat down before looking at Hank.

"Today's your day off," Hank said. "Not to mention you ran in like the devil was on your ass. You went straight for Fowler's office too. Did something happen?"

"You could say that," Connor said, running a hand down his face. "You and I are going to do a home call interrogation."

"What for?" Hank asked.

"Mostly to check a theory," Connor said. "If it's true, then I'll be talking to Fowler about getting a judge for a search warrant."

"What is this theory?" Hank looked over at Connor.

Connor shifted in his chair. "While I was walking Sumo, I ran into this girl. When her parents came looking for her, she didn't want to go with them. I also saw a bruise on her back when she returned to her parents. She was very hesitant about going back to them."

"Couldn't you show Fowler your memory?" Hank asked.

"He says I need physical evidence before he'll let me make my appeal," Connor said, a tone of defeat in his voice.

"Guess that means we'll be having an interrogation tonight," Hank said. "Think you can handle finding the address?"

"Shouldn't be _too_ difficult to manage."

* * *

Finding the girl's address was simple. Preparing to ask questions wasn't. They had to wait a few days to make sure the parents wouldn't recognize Connor. Almost four days had passed before they went to the Petrov property.

When they arrived, Connor took in the house. It was big and fancy and made of tan bricks. Several androids were working as hired help. Servants, gardeners, cleaners - all androids who didn't want to stray from their original purpose. Connor was similar in this aspect, except he did detective work. They got paid for their labor now instead of how it was before.

Hank parked the car and got out. Connor followed. They walked up to the door. Hank knocked three times. After a few moments passed, an android butler answered the door. The butler looked vaguely like Connor, but his hair was slightly longer and wavier, and his eyes were blue.

"Hello, welcome to the Petrov estate," the butler said, reciting the words like rehearsed lines. "What brings you here?"

"I'm Lieutenant Hank Anderson, and this is Detective Connor Anderson," Hank said. "We have a couple of questions for Min and Kadri about their daughter, Hei-Ran."

The android hesitated. "May I ask why you wish to ask the Master and Mistress such questions?"

"Listen, buddy-" Hank began but stopped when Connor put a hand in front of him, maintaining eye contact with the butler.

"It's official police business, but we have reason to believe Hei-Ran isn't exactly happy here," Connor said.

"That's putting it lightly," Hank scoffed as Connor lowered his arm.

The butler had an almost relieved expression on his face at that. He opened the door further and stepped to the side. "Right this way."

Connor smiled at the other android before entering the house. Hank followed him in, crossing his arms as he subtly scrutinized the interior decor.

Connor shook his head fondly before turning to the butler. "What's your name?"

The butler looked over his shoulder. "My previous owners named me Seth after my model - a SE600. They were an old couple. About a year after the revolution, they passed. Legally, I was no longer their property and could do whatever I wanted. However, I've always liked helping people. When they said that androids could resume their previous tasks as long as they got equal pay, I was thrilled!" Seth's smile grew before falling away again as he looked forward. "But the Master and Mistress aren't the best people."

"Why's that?" Connor asked.

"Don't get me wrong - they're wonderful to all of the androids here!" Seth said. "But the way they treat their daughter is... questionable at best."

An almost awkward silence hung in the air. Hank was the one to break it. "Questionable how?"

Seth didn't answer. Instead, he opened a set of doors to the right. "Master, Mistress, these police officers have some questions to ask."

The woman looked up. A quick analyzation on Connor's part showed that she was Min Petrov. She was 32-years-old and had no criminal record. However, her husband, Kadri Petrov, was 41 with the criminal history of assaulting a police officer and illegal drug usage.

"Good afternoon, officers," Min said with a smile. She studied Connor for a few seconds before looking at Hank. "Come, sit down."

Connor was hesitant but grabbed Hank's hand and decidedly entered the room. Two couches and a table sat in the middle of the room, the sofas facing each other and the table in between them. By the far wall, which mostly consisted of windows, was a desk which had Kadri sitting at it. On the left couch sat Min. Connor and Hank sat down on the other sofa.

"Seth, you are dismissed," Min said, waving her hand. Seth nodded and quickly left the room. Min looked at Hank briefly before turning her gaze to Connor. Her eyes flicked up to his LED. "An android, I presume?"

"Yes, ma'am," Connor said, nodding. "I'm Detective Connor Anderson, and this is my partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson. We're here to ask some questions about your daughter, Hei-Ran."

Kadri's posture tensed. "What kind of questions? What prompted this?"

"Questions about her well-being," Hank said. "Last Saturday, someone reported your daughter having a bruise on her back. They also said that she was hesitant to return to you after being asked."

Min's gaze snapped to Kadri to glare at him, and he did the same to her. They seemed to have a silent argument, and Connor gave Hank an uneasy glance. After a moment Min looked back at the police officers, a careful smile on her face.

"You can ask her yourself when she gets back from school," Min said calmly. She kept her expression schooled and her voice level.

"Even still, it would be a big help for us if we could see her hospital records, school reports, and the files for her most recent health examination," Connor said. "We promise to keep her private information under the same jurisdiction as patient-doctor confidentiality unless there is a valid reason to show the information to a person like a judge."

Kadri let out a light scoff before returning to the paperwork on his desk. "Do as you please. That girl is too much to handle anyway."

Min glared at him again before looking at Connor. "If you must, then go ahead. Ask Seth to show them to you. Though, I don't know what you'll find other than-" Min stopped herself from speaking further, quickly glancing over to Kadri.

"Other than what?" Hank asked.

"She's... in a lot of sports and... outdoor activities," Min said nervously. "She's frequently getting herself injured and hurt."

"So is that where the reported bruise came from?" Connor asked, skepticism almost apparent in his voice.

"Yes," Kadri said quickly. "She's very brash at times and can be hard to handle. I _do_ hope she doesn't cause too much trouble."

"If that's everything, I'll have Seth show you to the lounge," Min said. "He'll show you Hei-Ran's records and reports while you wait for her to return home."

As if on cue, Seth walked into the room. He gave a nod to Min before, holding an arm out while looking at Hank and Connor. "Right this way, Detective and Lieutenant Anderson."

Connor and Hank stood and left the room. They followed Seth in relative silence for about a minute before Connor decided to ask some other questions.

"Earlier you said that Mr. and Mrs. Petrov had questionable methods in how they treat Hei-Ran," Connor said. "How so?"

Seth hesitated before responding. "The Master and Mistress never wanted a child. However, the Master's parents wanted to have an heir for when he and the Mistress passed. Mistress' sister, Hwa-Young, was pregnant but going through with it was risky as she was sick. Seeing their chance, the Master's parents consulted with Hwa-Young, and she agreed to their terms."

"Terms? What terms?" Hank asked.

"When Hwa-Young had her baby, the Master and Mistress would take it under their care and raise it as their own," Seth said. "The baby is, as you can probably guess, Hei-Ran."

"Then what about her father?" Connor asked, brow furrowing.

"He was a good person," Seth said. "He died three months before Hei-Ran was born. After being diagnosed with cancer, he took his own life."

Connor let out a hum while Hank just sighed. Things just happened that way sometimes. Bad things happened to good people, and there was nothing you could do but keep going.

"Here we are," Seth said softly, opening a set of doors. The room looked like the typical lounge. Several sofas, a large coffee table, a bar, a TV - so on, so forth. Seth turned to Connor and Hank. "Sit where ever you like. Grab a drink and relax. I'll bring you Hei-Ran's files."

Connor gave Seth a nod as Hank entered the room. He quickly followed his husband, letting the doors close behind him. Hank sat down on one of the couches and Connor joined him, leaning on the older man.

"They're lying," Connor said quietly. "Hei-Ran didn't seem like the type to play sports. Play music and do artsy things, maybe - not play sports."

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out, Connor," Hank said. "They got nervous when we brought up the topic of Hei-Ran's behavior and physical health. That's not a good sign."

Connor sighed, letting his eyes close. His LED flickered yellow. "What if this doesn't work out? What if we can't help her?"

"Don't say that," Hank said, rolling his eyes. "We're going to find evidence then we're going to get a search warrant. After that, we're going to help this girl."

Connor nodded, but he still had his worries. He pushed the troubling thoughts to the back of his mind as the door opened. He opened his eyes and saw Seth standing there, several folders and papers in hand.

"I have what you asked for," he said. He walked over and set the things on the table. "Do you still wish to see Hei-Ran when she gets home?"

Hank glanced at Connor before shaking his head. "No, this should be fine. Thank you, though."

"Tell her we were here though," Connor said.

"As you wish," Seth said with a smile before exiting the room again.

Connor looked down at the pile of information. "We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Hank and Connor decided it would be best to take the files and leave, then look at it at the police station.

When they looked over everything, they found that a lot of the information, doctor reports, and even teacher notes contradicted what Hei-Ran's parents had said. Doctors said that she had several improperly healed injuries - most of the injuries were from varying types of blunt force trauma. Teachers stated that she wasn't very active, preferring to help indoors during recess.

Connor printed out some "screenshots" from his memory and uploaded the footage from his first encounter with Hei-Ran, the entire conversation he and Hank had with Kadri and Min, and what Seth told them about Hei-Ran's actual parents onto a USB drive.

With all of the vital information collected and finalized, Connor wrote his appeal for a search warrant. After that, he showed everything to Fowler. Fowler examined the evidence thoroughly before sighing.

"You have me convinced," he said. "Do you have your appeal?"

"Right here, Captain," Connor said, handing Fowler the almost-report.

"I'll get it to a judge as soon as possible," Fowler said. "I will notify you if it gets approved. We'll see if you get put on the actual search team. If your claims turn out to be true, then it will be taken to court."

Connor nodded. Fowler waved him out of the office. He walked to his desk, head almost spinning with relief. They were almost there. He smiled at Hank, and Hank smiled back. They could - _would_ do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! No idea when I'll be updating next, but hopefully soon.


End file.
